Witch Fire
by Broken Sanctum
Summary: In a world that holds a strenuous peace between two races, the Rajin and the humans, things are beginning to take a turn for the worse. Food is harder to come by, the humans are looking for fights, and conflict lurks around every corner. Will Celina be able to stop the conflict, or die trying?
1. Chapter 1

**Witch Fire**

**Chapter 1**

I wandered the market place, searching for the delicious, spicy scent that had caught my nose a few minutes ago. It remained there, tantalizing close yet so far away. The market place makes it so hard to scent things, with the smell of sweat, dust and seawater mixed with meats and vegetables cooked in thousands of ways, exotic spices and perfumes, and so much more. Glancing around, I pulled the hood down further over my face to hide my ears and my face in shadows as I sniffed. My tail was dying to move, but I had to keep it still, wrapped around me leg tightly. If the humans knew I was here, it would not be too pretty for a little Rajin child like me.

Okay, I'm not a child, almost an adult really, since I'm approaching my seventeenth name day, but until then I'll still just be a child to the others. The only reason I'm here is because my family is hungry. Well, the family that consists of me, my little brother Sirius who is twelve, and the twins, Sylvia and Ida, who are ten. Our parents have been dead for five years, so I've been raising them since then. It's hard, but it's easier with magic. Not so easy when you have two ten year olds developing their magic which occasionally sets the house on fire or blows a bit of it up. Plus magic can't conjure food and water out of nowhere.

I just _know_ they'll like this food if I can find it. I can still smell it as if I was right next to it. A spicy scent, with red and green peppers, black pepper, salt, a bit of lemon juice, potatoes, some carrots and leeks. Oh and meat. Lots and lots of meat. Just smelling it make my mouth water. I open my eyes and scan my surroundings looking for the source of the delicious aroma. There! Directly across from me, a man selling large shish kebabs filled with all the stuff I could smell. I checked the pockets in my cloak, looking for a bit of money so that I wouldn't have to steal. My fingers close around a few coins and I pull them out, inspecting them. Two gold lions and ten silver stags.

I put it back and approach the stall, wondering if that's enough for eight of the little kebabs. I wall up to the stall and pretend to inspect the items on display. "How much for eight?" I say, eyeing the various types of kebabs he was selling. "Two lions for these over here," his voice was a deep timber and it seemed to hold the accent usually associated with the Summer Isle. He gestured over to the ones I was looking at, "These ones over here are three." "Why three?" I asked looking at the ones he was talking about. They smelled sweeter than the others, the scent of honey that I hadn't noticed until now.

"I dip 'em in honey from the Summer Isle and roast 'em with a few more spices." I thought about it for a moment. I could always buy a few sweets for them with the stags. Besides, what was on the kebabs was more important that a bit of honey. "I'll take these," I said, gesturing to the ones I had initially been looking at. "Please wrap them." "That'll be another stag." I knew this man was overpricing things a bit, but at this point I didn't really care. My stomach growled, anticipating the food that I could not have just yet. I pulled the coins out of my pocket and put them on the wooden counter.

He pulled them off and put them in a leather pouch hanging from his waist and then proceeded to wrap my purchases in the thick, dried leather. "'ere you go," he said gruffly and so I was dismissed from his stall. After that, I headed back out of the town, stealthily creeping out and back to a village of my own. The woods were quite and quite calm, a couple of bees buzzing around flowers, birds calling to each other, the wind whispering through the thick canopy above. Tall grasses brushed by me until I got back to the usual well-worn path that I took to get back. I took a different route to the path, but the outcome was always the same.

Tall trees grew everywhere, undisturbed by human and Rajin alike, even though we had always cared more for nature than the humans. We drew our power from it and it provided us with our limited supply of food and water, while in return, we cared and protected it. Ahead of me loomed the familiar stone wall that protected our village from attackers on foot. Within I knew would be a massive tree, which took fifty of us just to encircle surround it, even when we are pressed against the bark with only our fingertips touching. It stretches up for many miles and we make our homes both within it's wood and below, within it's roots and the dirt and stone beneath. It can been seen, even from the human village, which is about six miles away. I smiled as I looked up at it. We live near the top, and every morning I look out my 'window' in the wood and I can see _everything_.

I approached the massive iron portcullis, "Hello! I'm back!" I yelled, my voice carrying a bit in the silent forest. After a moment or two, a head poked over the ramparts, "Hello? Who is it!" A man yelled back down, his monkey ears poking out from underneath his helm. "Open up Allen, you know it's me!" I yelled back up the fifty foot wall, hoping that the idiot would hear. "Sorry but I need identification!" He called back down and I rolled my eyes. He could be so irritating sometimes. "How about if you don't open up I won't split a kebab?" I yelled, gesturing to the package under my arm. Even from here, I could see his eyes grow wide and he disappeared back behind the ramparts, the portcullis rising moments later. "Thank you!" I called and walked through, the gates shutting after I had walking through.

Allen met me beyond the gate, "Did I hear you say you have kebabs?" He asked eagerly, practically bouncing up and down in excitement. "Calm down. Honestly, have you been in the sugar today?" "No," Allen said, looking rejected. "You know, you came at a good time. My shift literally just ended when you got back so I can head over to your place and we can split that kebab if you want." He grinned, his white, straight teeth gleaming in him mouth. "Hmm, let me think. No," I said with a smile and turn away, starting for the Sky Oak. "But Celina! You said you would share your kebab!" He whined, shaking my shoulder gently. "Oh fine," I said with a roll of my eyes, "You can have a bit," "Yes!" he said, beaming at me, "But only one potato," "HEY!" He called after me as I ran up to the Sky Oak.

"If you catch me I might give you a bit more!" I yelled over my shoulder and opened the door in, not even bothering to close it before I raced up the steps carved into the very center of the Oak. The led up in a spiral along the core of the tree, stretching all the way to the top, with little landings where you could get off to go to a balcony that went all the way around the inside of the tree on the level so that you could get to your room. I heard the door close and heard Allen running behind me. I looked down and saw he was only two landings up. I was on the tenth. "You'll never catch me at this rate," I called and he looked up. "Or so you think!" He yelled back up and crouched, preparing to leap.

"Oh no fair!" I called as he jumped from the second landing to the balcony above. I kept running, but we both knew it was hopeless. Ever since he was strong enough to jump that far, he beat me in every race to the top. I managed to get up two more floors before he caught up to me. "Fine," I grumbled, "But you had better get something else to bring over," "Deal!" He said, his chocolate brown eyes gleaming in the light. Did I forget to mention that the core of the tree has these little tubes of light that is powered by solar energy. We may be starving but we still have light.

As we walked up the steps, we continued to talk. "How much were those?" He said, sniffing the air, "Cause they smell so good!" "Two lions and a stag to wrap." Allen's eyes widened a bit, "How did you get that money?" I laughed, "I may have picked a pocket or two," I said with a sly grin. He rolled his eyes, "Eventually they'll catch you, and then you'll be in trouble." He was serious, one of his few moments when he wasn't hyped up on sugar and life. "Yes, but the day is not today," I said and continued to run up the steps.

After another ten or so minutes, we finally reached the top, where both of our homes were located. "Be over in five minutes," I said, went to the left, opened the first door, and disappeared inside. "Guys, I'm home!" I yelled, putting the leather package on the wooden table and I looked around. Two couches made out of branches and wool-stuffed skins dyed green were shoved into the corner of the living room, and a small table made out of wood and a glass pane set into it, a few books on top of it. The kitchen was a bunch of counters carved out of the tree and the cabinets were the same, but hallowed. The only things in there that were not wooden was an icebox a small metal oven, so that you could prevent fires, a sink, and the pipes carrying the water. Everything was powered by solar energy, just like how they got running water up this high and such.

A small, smooth rectangular stump sat a few feet away from that, in the corner of the room with six wooden chairs pushed in. The only walls here were the ones separating our house from the ones to the right and left, and the ones dividing our three bedrooms. The twin's door burst open and they came tumbling out, Sirius right behind them. "Celi! Your back!" Ida and Sylvia tackled me, their tails whipping through the air in excitement. Sylvia's nose twitched, "Something smells delicious!" she exclaimed and leapt up away from me and over to the table.

"Don't eat any yet," I said, "Allen will be here in a minute or two and he's bringing a few things over for you." Ida grinned, showing off her pointy canines, which had just come in finally after the others had fallen out. She scratched an ear with a finger, a long nail extending out where normal nails would be before shrinking back to normal size when she was done. Sirius held a book, _The Complete History of the Rajin_ was the title in white ink on the brown leather. "Will he be bringing over more books for me?" He said, serious as always. I leaned over and hugged him before ruffling his thick but soft black hair. "Don't worry Sirius, I'm sure he'll bring a few over."

I must have also forgotten to mention that the Rajin are different from humans. We are different because we take on traits of various animals and we can use magic. Everyone specializes in something, for Sylvia and Ida it's ice magic, for Sirius it's earth magic, Allen has some killer wind magic, and I have fire magic. Ironic isn't it, since it's the once thing that can kill everybody in the village and destroy the Sky Oak? Not everybody has elemental magic though. Some concentrate on healing, others on nature spells, others on lots of other things.

Magic and our animal traits are the gift of our Goddess, Narazura. Our parents were cats, so we inherited the cat ears and tails. That does _not_ mean we use litter boxes. Black hair, black ears, black tails, and golden eyes, we are quite the eerie family. Or that's what Allen jokes anyways. As I got up off the floor, the door opened and Allen appeared, carrying a small leather bag of things. Ida and Sylvia gave him enough time to set his bag on the table and shut the door before they tackled him, "Allen!" They yelled, grins on their pale faces, their sharp teeth glinting in the light that the panels created. He braced himself so that he wouldn't fall and gave them his usual awkward one-armed-hug-thing he always did before going over to Sirius and hugging him to.

"How have you guys been?" he asked, a grin on his face, "Been giving your sister a lot of hell?" "Nope," Ida and Sylvia said together, their black tails swishing through the air. "Oh, and Sirius," "Yes?" Sirius looked up, his right ear twitching just a bit. Allen reached into the bag and pulled out three books, with soft and supple leather covers and their titles in white ink on them. "Here you go, I figured you had already finished the other one, so I brought you a few more. You know, all you have to do is come over and you can borrow whichever ones you want."

Sirius looked me really quick, hope and questioning in his gaze. "Sirius, he's like the older and very weird brother we don't have, so don't worry." I said. His face lit up with happiness and he gratefully excepted the large tomes, each one probably over a thousand pages, probably more. He hugged Allen really quickly and then jumped onto one of the couches so that he could start reading. "Ah, ah ,ah," I said, wagging my finger, "Eat first, then clean up, then you can read, okay?" Sirius wrinkled his nose but put the book down on the table and joined us at the dinner table.

I grabbed our thin but sturdy stone plates and metal tableware and set it down in their places while Ida grabbed the napkins and Sylvia got the glasses. Sirius got the milk out and poured it into the glasses and Allen began to divide the food amongst us. The kids got two of the kebabs, Allen and I got one. He gave them the bigger helpings of the fruits and vegetables that he had brought with him. It was an unspoken rule we shared; they get more so they can grow strong and healthy.

Once everything was done, we sat down and began to eat. Dinner is never a quite affair, with Ida and Sylvia always making faces, Sirius and Allen discussing books and me just doing my general thing. "Allen, can you tell us a story after dinner?" Ida and Sylvia pleaded, clapping their hands together, putting on their most adorable and heart-wrenching faces they could muster, which was pretty freaking heart-wrenching. Allen lasted for about five seconds, a new personal record for him, "Alright, fine, I'll tell you one. Which one?" He could never stand up to them and their innocent attacks, as he said, 'They're just to cute Celina!'

"Can you tell us about the war between us and the humans!" Sylvia said, "Yeah!" Ida added, "Please?" Allen grinned, "Sure." "Wait. Hold on just a sec, what's wrong with the story when _I_ tell it? I tell it perfectly fine!" I said indignantly, turning my head and crossing my arms, but there was a grin on my face. "It's 'cause Allen tells it _way_ better!" Ida said, "Yeah, he has all these cool voices to go with it and he can do the explosions and other noises way better than you!" I shook my head, "I should make Allen leave before he can tell you but I won't," I said as I stood, picked up my plate and ruffled their hair on the way to the sink. They filed up and washed their dishes and then threw themselves onto the couches, waiting for Allen to sit down and begin.

Allen finished washing his plate and cup, dried them off and then put them away before he walked over to the unoccupied couch and sat on it. I took my place beside him, perched on to top of the couch, while Sirius sat next to Ida and Sylvia who were fidgeting impatiently. Allen began, his voice soft but strong and enrapturing.

"Many years ago, there were two groups of people; the followers of Narazura, the Rajin, and the followers of God, the humans, coexisted together, side by side, helping each other through times of great need. The Rajin were thoroughly devoted to Narazura, so one day she called down form the heavens where she resided and said, 'Because of your diligence and steadfast belief, I shall grant you three things. The traits of the animals you have so kindly nurtured, senses that surpass normal mortals, and the sacred gift of magic, draw from nature's energy. Use these gifts wisely and carefully.'

"However, after a few years of this, the humans grew jealous of the Rajin and their powers, wishing that their god had also given them these gifts. So they called their other villages together and began to make weapons. They began to attack the Rajin in small groups, beating and torturing, calling us witches, heathens, freaks, and more. However, the Rajin did not retaliate, in fear of their goddess growing angry, so instead they built the wall around their home and tried to distance themselves.

"But the humans took it too far. They came upon a group of Rajin, ten of the farmers heading to the fields so that they could tend to the crops. They were ambushed, and the humans came down on them with their iron weapons. The Rajin did not stand a chance. So Narazura sent down a message to the Rajin priest. 'Fight against this rising evil and put the humans in their place. No more of my children shall die needlessly.'

"And so, the Rajin called forth their forces and gathered, training for months on end, honing their magic and skills. When ready, the appointed leader for the Rajin, Dax Xan spoke to them. 'We have gathered here for something that I wish we did not have to resort to. However, we cannot tolerate these attacks on our innocent tribes, so we must fight back! Narazura herself shall watch over us and help us win this battle, and no matter the outcome, remember this. We fight not only for our people, for our goddess, but for our pride! We fight for our children and our ancestors! We fight for everything that is us! We shall rise above and conqueror!'

"He led them to the Forsaken Plains, where the human army had gathered in preparation for their assault on the Sky Oak. The two races clashed, magic meeting iron with a clash. Fire, water, ice, earth, ice, wind and thousands more powers mixed with those of the humans. Rajin with weapons magic fought hand-to-hand, blade-to-blade with the humans, and slowly, we gained the upper hand. Dax himself rode forth in the battle, calling upon his creation magic to protect him people and fight with them.

"Suddenly, the skies began darkened, black clouds appearing from nowhere, hiding the sun from the people. Cries of anger and hatred became cries of fear and terror and a massive lightning bolt flashed in the middle of the field, where Dax and the human leader Basil fought. The lightning struck their swords, sending them flying back to their sides and on the rock where they had been fighting stood two people, a man robed in white and a woman with a green dress.

"'This battle is over,' they declared as one, their voices one as they continued, 'Return to your homes and never fight again or the suffer the consequences. There has been enough bloodshed for eons to come.' The people, shaken, wandered home, terrified at what had occurred. They put their weapons away and returned to an uneasy peace that has lasted till now, three hundred years later. Some say we are due for another Great War. Others say that this peace will get better and last till the end of times. However, no one knows."

Allen leaned back and stretched, working his jaw, "You have any idea how sore your mouth gets after talking that much?" I laughed, "You talk that much anyways. I swear, sometimes I think about getting a muzzle while at the human village." Ida and Sylvia yawned, sleepy smiles on their faces. "That was great," Ida said, "Yeah," Sylvia added, "You'd make a great Word Weaver," she said. Sirius nodded in agreement, opening his mouth to say something but it turned to a yawn.

"Alright, time for you guys to go to bed," I said and then I turned to look at Allen, "I'll be back in a minute or two okay." "Alright, take your time," he said with a grin, his tail waving about in front of him. I shepherded them off to bed since Sirius, who is in charge of the house while I'm out, forced Ida and Sylvia to take baths. After three hugs, 'goodnights' and 'I love you's' said, I went back out into the living room where Allen waited. I threw myself down onto the other couch and turned so that I could look at him while on my stomach, my arms folded under my chin.

"You really could be a good Word Weaver," I admitted, albeit grudgingly, "So why did you become a soldier?" Allen scratched the stubble on his chin, thinking. "I guess it's because I never really thought about telling stories to others. My magic is not words, and I wanted to help protect our colony from the outside dangers." I grinned, "How noble," I said, flicking my tail back and forth, "But you do have magic with words, just not in the way people think of." He shrugged and we remained in silence for a few minutes before he spoke. "I should probably get going," he said, standing up and stretching, "I have the dawn patrol tomorrow," he wrinkled his nose.

I laughed quietly, "Not my problem," I said, "Bu then again, I'm on a hunting patrol tomorrow. I'm sure they'll let you off so that you can help, right?" He shrugged, "It depends on how tomorrow goes I guess." I nodded, "Alright," I stood too and gave him a hug, "Try not to fall out your bed," I teased, causing us both to remember his eighth birthday. He turned red, "Are you going to remind me of that forever?" "Until I get bored of it," I said with a grin and opened the door for him, "Sleep tight monkey-boy," "Right back at you, whiskers." I rolled my eyes and shut the door, locking it after it clicked shut.

The clock hanging on the wall above the couch Allen had sat on glowed faintly, giving me enough light to see the time. Ten thirty, not to bad. I picked up one of the books on the table and flipped to where I had left off. Time to catch up on some well deserved reading. I think I managed to get about three pages further before my tired eyes slid shut and the book fell onto my chest.

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AFTERWORD

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…. I actually managed to get this done ahead of schedule, considering sports and everything. But, that's not the point. I hope you've enjoyed the first chapter of Witch Fire. I'll continue to work on the chapter, attempting to get one every week or two. So, if you can spare like five minutes, please rate and review. Thanks for reading and come back soon for more~


	2. Chapter 2

Witch Fire

Chapter 2

When I woke up the next morning, two faces were looming over me, their long black hair tickling my face, staring down at me with intense yellow eyes. I made a small noise of surprise and shot up so fast that my head nearly collided with theirs. "What are you two doing?" I grumbled, swinging my legs off the couch and stretching the kinks and knots out of my back. "You shouldn't fall asleep on the couch," Ida chided, "You might hurt your back," Sylvia finished.

"How about I sleep wherever I want, and you two can drop water bombs on Joey as much as you want and I'll say it was Catherine." The twins grinned, "Tempting," Sylvia said, "But no," Ida said, "We have better ways to get him without getting caught." I rolled my eyes, "Like you need any more ways," I shook my head and stood. Sirius sat at the table, a plate of eggs, bacon, and bread in front of him but mostly untouched. He was buried in Allen's book, his eyes scanning the pages impossibly fast while he soaked all the information in like a sponge.

I stealthily walked over and grabbed his book, putting a finger where his page was and pulling it out of his grasp. "Celina!" he complained, "It was just getting to a good part!" I slid a napkin into his place and tucked it under my arm. "NO reading until you finish your breakfast," I said and gently smacked him on the head, "How many times must I tell you?" He grumbled and glared at me for a few seconds, but quickly began to eat so that he could have his book returned.

The icebox was woefully empty. Half a glass jug of milk, which I could return for a few stags since we reuse everything. A few more eggs. Some meat. Not much other than that. I looked through the cabinets and bit my lip when I saw what was within. It was beginning to get worse, and I didn't know how much longer the drought could last. For the last two or three months, it hadn't rained any more than half an inch, barely enough to feed our dying crops.

Despite all of the colonies best efforts, we were losing the battle with nature, which is funny since we worship a nature goddess. We were running low on water, and the elders were talking about going into the emergency vats of water that lay far beneath the Sky Oak. I grabbed a few strips of dried meat and the last two pieces of bread that lay warm and untouched in the pan on the oven. I swallowed down one, disappeared into my room, pulled my clothes off and swapped them for something more appropriate for hunting.

A tight but comfortable forest-colored shirt, matching shorts, and straw sandals, which are surprisingly soft when woven by the right person. I also grabbed a leather bag in which I stored a few knives and other essentials for the trip. I looked at the clock. I still had half an hour. I walked back out and grabbed the other piece of bread, chewing it hungrily as I watched Ida and Sylvia play some new game Catherine or Tommy had taught them.

"Have you two already eaten?" I asked around a mouthful of breath. They looked up at me, "Yep, we had the same as Sirius," "Good," I said. I swallowed the last piece of my bread, drank a bit of water from my canteen and put the meat into my bag. "Alright guys, I'm off. Please don't burn down the house," I said with a grin, giving them each a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Yes ma'am!" Ida and Sylvia said, with huge grins on their faces. I opened the door and shut it behind me, hearing it click behind me as I turned to walk away.

I slid down the banister of the stairs, which made everything so much more fun and easy. One of these days, it's going to break while I'm on it, but today is not the day. Besides, I don't think I'm fat enough to do that, partly since the Rajin burn the calories pretty much as soon as they get them, and because of the fact that most of the food goes to weak, elderly, and the young.

Within a minute or two, I reached the bottom and I jumped off, doing a flip in the air and landing perfectly balanced on my toes. I opened the door that led out of the Sky Oak, blinking in the bright morning sunlight. The others waited for me a few yards in front of me and I quickly walked forwards and joined them. Anna turned and rolled her eyes, but she had a grin on her face, "Did you oversleep _again_?" I grinned, "What can I say? I have the kids to take care of."

Anna shrugged, "And that's why I'm glad I don't have any brothers or sisters. I would probably have gone insane if I had yours." I punched her lightly on the arm and she smacked me with her fluffy fox tail. I grabbed it and held it up, "I would kill to be a fox like you, all because you have an awesome tail," I said, waving it back and forth. She wrinkled her nose, "No, you wouldn't. It is such a pain to brush everything out of it, and just when you think your done, there's a whole other patch you missed." I grinned and dropped her tail.

Everybody but me is older than seventeen. Technically, they're only supposed to bring over-seventeen's but I'm an exception. I snuck out on one when I was fifteen and brought back two huge bucks. It was great, and we had divided them up amongst the hunters and Allen and my family had split my part of it. The groups are always changing, but it never matters, because everybody knows everybody in the colony.

Today's group consists of me, Allen, Ana, Troy who is a wolf, Victoria who is a tiger, Colin who is a mouse, and Dorian who is a rabbit. We're a weird bunch, but we're together on hunts together more than we are with others. Our team doesn't even have to communicate; we've gotten to the point where we know what the others will do, before they even do it. Victoria handed out weapons that we would need, both to protect ourselves and to kill our prey.

Allen took a long, one-handed sword and a small, circular iron shield, Anna got a bow and arrows, Troy and Colin grabbed heavy oak staffs, Dorian got two-handed sword. Victoria wielded a thin but sturdy iron rod with a soft grip, and I had these claw-gauntlets I had specially made. They're simple but effective, with leather straps that tie them around my hands that connect to a tight-fitting metal bracelet on my wrist and a band that goes across the top of my hand and just under the fingers on my palm. From the top extends four extremely sharp iron claws a little longer than my fingers that I sharpen every morning.

"You guys ready?" Victoria asked and everybody nodded, ready to go. We quickly crossed the distance between the Sky Oak and the wall to where the gate was, walking along the mossy cobblestone path. Victoria yelled up for them to raise the gate, her voice carrying through the somewhat silent forest. The gears clanked and clunked as they ground together, hauling the heavy iron set of bars up long enough for us to pass through before they were lowered once more.

A quick jog through the forest got us to a part of the woods we usually didn't hunt in, but we had to be careful about over-hunting. The trees loomed up around us, non anywhere near as tall as the Sky Oak, but they grew taller than the ones near the humans. Moss and lichen clung to everything, covering everything with it's soft green colors. It was starting to dry out. The lack of water was even affecting everything. Even in the human village they were worrying about water shortage.

We arrived in a small clearing, trees growing on every side, nearly forming a circle around us, their thick green canopies stretching above us, diluting the sun. "We'll hunt in pairs and meet back up here when the sun is overhead." Victoria said, "Allen and Celina, Troy and Anna, Colin and Dorian. I'll go by myself." Everyone nodded and headed off into different directions, passing through the undergrowth with ease.

As we walked, our ears pricked, I felt myself settle into the familiar hunting crouch, creeping along stealthily. Each step was careful and precise, steering clear of the undergrowth, dried twigs and leaves that littered the ground. Allen crept just behind me, about a foot behind, his sword ready. I stopped suddenly and parted my jaws just enough to draw in a quiet breath so that I could scent the air, just like a cat.

The scent of birds lingered in the air, although it was stale, probably had been here early this morning. The fresher scent of a fox filled my mouth, along wild pigs, deer, and a small pack of wild dogs. "Dogs," was all I said and Allen nodded, his eyes focused and serious. We walked quietly along the route that the dogs had taken. From the smell I was getting, there were probably six, and they were probably eating fairly well. A few feet in front of us was a pile of feathers, each one long and about the size of my hand.

The feathers were a bright blue, feathers from a Clear Crowned Hawk. They tend to be very large birds, each averaging about three feet and sixty or so pounds. The males have bright blue feathers with transparent feathers that change colors based on their emotional state. Females are darker blue and smaller, with white crowns on their head. They're pretty good fliers too, but pretty slow and not very smart.

Blood still lay fresh on the ground around the feathers, beginning to dry in the heating air as the sun continued to scale up into the sky. "Look in the trees and come back down when you see them," I murmured to Allen, "Alright," he said, but his sword in a sheath on his back and ran up to the nearest tree, flinging himself up and gripping with his fingers and toes.

Within seconds, he was high up, hanging onto a branch as he searched the ground below. I listened closely, waiting for him to give the signal that he had seen something. After a minute or two, a soft whistle echoed throughout the forest, sweet and gentle. I walked over to a tree, extended my own claws and stuck them into the tree and I pulled myself up. Soon, I stood beside Allen and I searched for what he had seen.

It didn't take me long. The dogs were making quite the racket, although that could also be because of the two badgers they were trying to kill. They were still a hundred or so yards off though, so we made our way to them using the trees. We jumped over the gaps that spanned between branches, landing on them so that there was barely a noise. Within two minutes, we were directly over the fighting animals, low enough so that when we landed, we would not hurt ourselves in the fall.

Four of the dogs lay dead already, as did one of the badgers, but the living ones were fighting as hard as they could. They would not stop until the other died. One of the dogs lunged in, it's teeth reaching for the badger's neck, but it was swatted away by massive claws. It hit a tree with a yelp and a sickening thud and slumped to the ground, motionless. The other dog growled, it's hackles raised. I looked at Allen and nodded, and then threw myself down onto the badger, while he took the dog.

The iron claws on my hands were lined up with the badger's spinal cord, my hand curled into a fist so that my fingers would not get into the way. It looked up at the last second, surprise filling it's beady black eyes as it's brain had enough time to register me below I severed it's spine. With one puncture it was over, leaving four marks in it's back that pulsed rich red blood. Allen stood over the dog, his sword sticking out of it's skull. "Today's a good day," I said with a grin and Allen smiled back, "Definitely, except I really don't want to carry all the bodies back."

I laughed, "Luckily, you have me," I said, "What would you do without me?" Allen shrugged, "Probably nothing. However, instead of talking, we should probably make something to carry these back on." "I suppose," I grumbled but went to help. We collected a few light but sturdy branches and made a basket out of them, using vines to tie them together, smaller branches, more vines, and leaves, to make the bottom of it.

One by one, we loaded the bodies into the basket and hefted it up, using the handhold on two of the sides to heft it up onto our shoulders. It was very heavy, but then again, the badgers were pretty freaking heavy. "Next time, we shouldn't split up," I said, grimacing as the branch dug into my shoulder. "Why's that?" Allen asked.

"Because I'm too lazy to carry these!" I said and we both laughed, "Whatever you say, whatever you say." Allen picked up the pace and we walked as quick as we could through the woods. Even though we were going as fast as possible, it was still pretty slow, since the weight was slowing us down. A one-legged animal could have beaten us, so yeah, we were going pretty slow. That and the fact that we had to take the occasional breaks so we didn't suffer from a collapsed lung or anything.

Eventually, we made it back to the clearing, where everybody but Troy and Anna were still out. Victoria was halfway down a tree, climbing down quickly and carefully. "Nearly noon," she said, picking some bark out of her claws before she let them shrink back to normal size. Bracken on the opposite side of the clearing began to rustle and we reached for our weapons. Two familiar heads poked out of the bushes, "Hey," Anna said, "I hope we're not late."

"Luckily no," Victoria said and Anna walked out of the bushes, Troy right behind her. Together, they hauled a dead wild pig tied to a pole. A somewhat small one, but still, it had meat on it. They put it with the carcasses Allen and I had brought, along with the deer Victoria had gotten, and a dozen or so birds that Colin and Dorian had gotten.

"An okay haul today," I said, looking at what we had gotten, "Although, we'll probably have to come back when we've gotten this back, right Victoria?" Victoria nodded, "I want at least four hauls before the sun sets." Troy groaned, "And my back it already killing me," he said. "The sooner we get the hauls in, the sooner you can get to the hot springs," Victoria said and everybody perked up.

Everybody loved the hot springs and went there as often as possible. They had minerals in them that made you sick if you drank a lot of it, but it was perfect for a relaxing bath. They lay deep under the Oak, the way lit by the tubes running horizontal along the walls. I couldn't wait till the sun set, but it would take a few hours. "Let's get this back then!" I said, and hefted up the basket. Allen grabbed the other end before it could fall and we were on our way. Victoria led, with Dorian helping her carrying the dear which was also attached to a pole, along with the birds he and Colin had caught, which were strung up on a pole.

After a long time of traveling, don't even ask how long, we reached the Oak and the gates opened to us. Ten people waited for us, ready to pluck and skin the animals before drying and salting them. They took they animals and after a quick sip from our flasks, we were back out, heading to a different part of the woods than before. We split up into groups again, this time I went with Colin, Allen with Dorian, Victoria and Anna, and Troy solo. Collin and I went straight from where we had come into the clearing at.

We traveled for a few minutes, both of us tasting the air in hopes of scenting something good. Twenty or thirty minutes passed. Then it hit us, literally. Exactly five seconds in between both of us scenting it and then it erupting out of the bushes. It was a targ, which is basically a giant panther-like cat. That when standing on all fours goes up to my shoulders. And has canines about as long as my forearm.

It's fur was pure white, and it's eyes like two blue crystals, hard and clear, filled with an intense gaze filled with hunger and menace. It spread it's jaws wide, claws out so that it could grab Colin. He let out a small scream and raised his staff. That was what saved him to be honest.

He barely managed to get the staff high enough before the targ's paws slammed into the sturdy wood, causing it to splinter instantly. It reached forward, it's jaws parted to rip into it's neck when I slammed my iron claws into it's flank. It turn snarling, raising it's paw, flashing claws. "Come on you little mother fucker," I taunted and slashed at it again, this time getting it's side.

The good news it that the targ leapt off of Colin, leaving him shaken but more or less unharmed. The bad news is that now it was coming after me. I turned and ran, running for my life, adrenaline flowing through my veins, lending me the speed I needed to stay ahead of the targ. I flashed past Victoria and Anna, who shouted as I passed them, but their words were whipped away. All I could hear was the targ crashed through the undergrowth behind me and my erratic breathing as I fought to keep my breath.

Somehow, I managed to find the situation ironic, even though this was life or death for one of us. Still, it was funny how a cat was chasing a cat-human. The hunter had become the hunted, as they say. Allen stood in the way of the path and he watched with wide eyes. He dove out of the way and I saw Dorian out of the corner of my eye. Within a few seconds, everybody was running through the trees above, preparing to strike the second they had the opportunity.

A massive tree loomed up in front of me and I quickly extended my claws. I drew within ten feet and leapt, carrying myself about ten feet off the ground. Good news; I wasn't dead yet. Bad news; I probably would be soon since the targ shot up the tree after me. Hand over hand I climbed, quicker than I had ever climbed before, but then again, a massive predator behind you will do that. I spared a glance down.

The targ was about ten feet below, roaring up at me as it raised a paw up, stretching for my leg. It's mouth was wide, revealing a dark cavern big enough to fit Ida and Sylvia in there, no problem. Long, sharp teeth stood on top and on bottom, two rows on both surfaces. I kept going up the tree, dodging the branches that were in my way. The tree was starting to become narrower, and soon it would get to the point where I could wrap my arms around it.

Already, it was shaking from the combined weight of us scrambling up the tree. I was gasping for breath, desperately drawing in each breath that could very well be my last. I didn't have much room for error, but I didn't really have time to consider about what to do, so I kept going. Hand over hand, foot over foot. The tip of the tree began to sway dangerously. I made a split second decision and got onto a fairly sturdy branch, ready to make my final stand.

The targ's eyes lit up; it had me cornered, and we both knew it. It quickly closed the distance between us and clung to the bark, right newt to the branch. It eased itself onto the branch, causing it to shiver dangerously. I raised my claws. "Bring it you sick son of a bitch," I growled, and it responded with a roar and a pounce. I ducked and it sailed over my head, revealing it's soft and exposed underbelly to me. I rammed my iron claws up into it, piercing flesh and organs, scraping bones and shattering them. The targ shivered and became limp, falling to the ground below.

The only problem was, was that my claws were still buried into it. It pulled me over and into the air, and as we fell, I pushed myself away from the body, away from the tree where I could grab a branch to save myself. The targ's body slammed into the branches, which slowed it's descent, but there was nothing to stop me but the ground below. I fell in a star shape, my arms and legs spread out, my hair and tail whipping through the air behind me. So this is what it feels like to fly.

Strangely enough, all the fear I had felt while the targ was chasing me vanished. I knew what was coming and I had accepted it. All there was left to do was hit and splatter. Or maybe I wasn't high enough for that. I didn't really know at this point. Everything flew past me, wind whipping at my face. As I passed the halfway point down, time seemed to slow as I looked at everybody.

They had all climbed up the tree after my, not that it mattered though. Their eyes were wide with panic and shock as I fell, and I caught Allen's eyes. I gave a small smile and he yelled something and thrust his hand out, trying to get me. Our fingers brushed and I was jarred back to reality. His fingertips tightened around mine but they slid away, and my hop was severed as quickly as it had come.

I continued to hurtle down, and the ground loomed up before me. A thought hit me. _What about Sirius and the twins?_ A tear escaped my eye and I felt winds try to slow me down. It wasn't enough to stop me. I hit the ground and a tidal wave of black engulfed me. The last thing I heard was Allen screaming my name as he shot out of the tree and over to me.

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AFTERWORD

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….. I swear, the cliffhanger idea came to me a few days ago. I know your like, 'WTF!' but its all for the plot. So, please rate and review, I could care less if its positive or not. Oh, and if you take my idea, it wont be pretty, got it? Thanks for reading and please stay tuned for more.


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